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30.06.2017

Icon prepares for first ever Twitter Conference

Icon’s first ever Twitter Conference - #IconTC - to be held on 6 October 2017 from 9.15am BST.

Icon are hosting a Twitter Conference to provide an inclusive platform for conservators and the public to share conservation projects from around the world for the first time. For participants, the advantages of Twitter are that it’s free, and no travel is required to contribute and interact from anywhere in the world. The Conference will be archived online so it will be possible to catch up at a later date. We also hope that it will be fun.

Like a normal conference, each ‘speaker’ will get a 15 minute slot allocated to showcase their conservation paper. There are no limitations on themes so anyone in conservation can contribute, papers could be about a great treatment, a small but effective new technique, new innovations in technology, exhibition work, great public engagement or examples of successful collaboration. No project is too big or too small for this conference.

Once the call for papers has closed and papers chosen, a timetable of speakers and their twitter handles will be available from 14 September 2017.

This conference has been inspired by the recent Public Archaeology Twitter Conference #PATC undertaken by Lorna Richardson. See their website for more details about this great event.

Call for papers

We welcome papers from anyone and anywhere in the world.

The deadline for submission is 7 September 2017 at midnight GMT: Contributors should submit an abstract to Pieta Greaves.

If youare interested in submitting a paper but have queries about the format or subject matter, do get in touch with Pieta to ask questions.

Speakers Guidance

1. You must have a Twitter handle/account, this can be a personal or organisational account.
2. Presentations are allowed a minimum of 6 tweets and maximum of 12 tweets (each tweet is 140 characters)
3. Every tweet must be numbered (1 - 12) and start with the hashtag #IconTC (i.e 1 #IconTC, 2 #IconTC etc)
4. Your tweets should start with an introductory tweet, then have 4-10 "body" tweets and then end with a summary tweet
5. The speaker is responsible for ensuring they have the correct copyright and permissions for the material to be placed on Twitter.
6. Speakers can include any kind of media in their tweets, from images to GIFS (as long as they are suitable for a conference where there will inevitably be a global audience of different ages). Get creative! The strict character limit forces you to be creative with how you present your work. But please note that an attached image takes up space in your tweet, so you get fewer characters.
7. You will be given a time slot in which to tweet your research based on your geographic location. Ensure you give us your time zone information when you send in the abstract.
8. Discussion and questions are encouraged. When asking a question, please direct your tweet to the individual using their handle and use the hashtag #IconTC
9. See a good example from #PATC here.
10. The language of the conference in English.

On the day

1. Draft your tweets ahead of time in order to avoid issues during the event. Make sure your account is not private and your tweets are not protected, otherwise we will be unable to see them. Follow the event with hashtag #IconTW and keep up to date by following @Conservators_uk
2. Our advice is to tweet one per minute or similar, which will then allow some time for questions or comments. There will be plenty of time after you have completed your 15mins for more questions/comments so don’t worry if you are unable to answer them all in your allocated time.
3. Reply to yourself with each tweet, so that they are displayed together on Twitter.
4. Your first tweet must be pinned to the top of your profile for at least 1 week after the event to allow users to find your tweets after the event.
5. Please note, postings will be curated on Storify after the conference.

Timetable 2017

1 July- Call for speakers, abstracts to be sent to Pieta.
7 Sept- Call for speakers ends
7-12- Speakers informed of slot
14 Timetable uploaded for the conference
6 October Twitter conference takes place

FAQs

Here is some great advice from the World Seabird Twitter Conference, now in its 3rd year. If you are interested see their website for more information about Seabirds.

What is a Twitter Conference?

A Twitter conference is a social media event that occurs from the comfort of your living room!! (or wherever you might be currently seated). This event is meant to bring together conservators from around the world in an online setting to encourage communication and collaboration, particularly when costs of travel are currently high.

How do you participate in a Twitter Conference?

All you need is a Twitter account and handle (e.g. @conservators_uk). You can obtain one of these very easily online. After getting a twitter profile, you only need to search for the hashtag #IconTC to see all posts that are related to the conference. If you are interested in “spectating only”, Icon's website will be equipped with a window which will show the twitter feed. However you wouldn’t be able to interact using this option, so our recommendation would be to set up a twitter account to get the most out of the conference.

How much time am I expected to spend on this if I participate?

After the sign-up closes, papers selected will be allocated a 15 minute time slot in which you are required to present your 6-12 tweets in. These will be allocated in relation to your local timezone, so it is vital that you provide this information accurately. We do strongly encourage people to meet and interact during the conference. It is especially vital that you will be available during your presentation time slot to present and then to answer potential questions you might receive, indeed just like at a real conference.

If you are unable to be present during your allocated time slot, you can schedule your tweets (using services such as Tweetdeck, Hootsuite or Buffer), so that they get posted automatically without you having to be online.

But what if I don't know how to use Twitter?
There are many guides on how to use Twitter online, you could start with this video to help you get started.

Conference committee

Pieta Greaves @PietaGreaves
I am a freelance conservator and director of Drakon Heritage and Conservation (@DrakonHeritage). My specialism is the conservation of museum and archaeological objects and have considerable field experience in both conservation and archaeology, working in the UK and abroad. As the main instigator of this conference I hope that people will contribute and interact across the conservation disciplines for a successful conference.

Linda Spurdle @LSpurdle
I am responsible for the strategic development of Birmingham Museums Trust's website, social media presence, and other digital experiences. I am also spearheading the digital transformation of the organisation with my combined role leading on Digital Media and ICT. I will be providing logistical support for the conference and ensuring that it all runs smoothly on the day.

Jenni Butterworth @IvychurchPriory
I gained my BA in Archaeology and Doctorate in Landscape Archaeology from the University of Bristol. Since 2013, I have worked as a freelance consultant and project manager in the heritage and publishing sector. I am a director of Drakon Heritage and Conservation with Pieta, and look forward to providing logistical support for the conference.

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